Pyrazolo[1,5-a]quinazoline scaffold as 5-deaza analogue of pyrazolo[5,1-c][1,2,4]benzotriazine system: synthesis of new derivatives,biological activity on GABAA receptor subtype and molecular dynamic study

To investigate the binding affinity of GABA_A receptor subtype, new pyrazolo [1,5-a]quinazolines were designed, synthesized, and in vitro evaluated. These compounds, 5-deaza analogues of pyrazolo[5,1-c][1,2,4]benzotriazine derivatives which were already studied in our research group, permit us to evaluate the relevance of the nitrogen or the oxygen atom at 5-position of the tricyclic scaffold. Molecular dynamic study was done on a set of the new and known ligands to rationalize and to explain the lack of affinity on the 4- or 5-substituted new derivative. In fact, from biological results, it can be found that the only 5-unsubstituted new derivative, compound 15, has receptor recognition (K_i?=?834.7?nM).     

Precise periodic components estimation for chronobiological signals through Bayesian Inference with sparsity enforcing prior

The toxicity and efficacy of more than 30 anticancer agents present very high variations, depending on the dosing time. Therefore, the biologists studying the circadian rhythm require a very precise method for estimating the periodic component (PC) vector of chronobiological signals. Moreover, in recent developments, not only the dominant period or the PC vector present a crucial interest but also their stability or variability. In cancer treatment experiments, the recorded signals corresponding to different phases of treatment are short, from 7 days for the synchronization segment to 2 or 3 days for the after-treatment segment. When studying the stability of the dominant period, we have to consider very short length signals relative to the prior knowledge of the dominant period, placed in the circadian domain. The classical approaches, based on Fourier transform (FT) methods are inefficient (i.e., lack of precision) considering the particularities of the data (i.e., the short length). Another particularity of the signals considered in such experiments is the level of noise: such signals are very noisy and establishing the periodic components that are associated with the biological phenomena and distinguishing them from the ones associated with the noise are difficult tasks. In this paper, we propose a new method for the estimation of the PC vector of biomedical signals, using the biological prior informations and considering a model that accounts for the noise. The experiments developed in cancer treatment context are recording signals expressing a limited number of periods. This is a prior information that can be translated as the sparsity of the PC vector. The proposed method considers the PC vector estimation as an Inverse Problem (IP) using the general Bayesian inference in order to infer the unknown of our model, i.e. the PC vector but also the hyperparameters (i.e the variances). The sparsity prior information is modeled using a sparsity enforcing prior law. In this paper, we propose a Student’s t distribution, viewed as the marginal distribution of a bivariate normal-inverse gamma distribution. We build a general infinite Gaussian scale mixture (IGSM) hierarchical model where we assign prior distributions also for the hyperparameters. The expression of the joint posterior law of the unknown PC vector and hyperparameters is obtained via Bayes rule, and then, the unknowns are estimated via joint maximum a posteriori (JMAP) or posterior mean (PM). For the PM estimator, the expression of the posterior distribution is approximated by a separable one, via variational Bayesian approximation (VBA), using the Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence. For the PM estimation, two possibilities are considered: an approximation with a partially separable distribution and an approximation with a fully separable one. Both resulting algorithms corresponding to the PM estimation and the one corresponding to the JMAP estimation are iterative algorithms. The algorithms are presented in detail and are compared with the ones corresponding to the Gaussian model. We examine the convergency of the algorithms and give simulation results to compare their performances. Finally, we show simulation results on synthetic and real data in cancer treatment applications. The real data considered in this paper examines the rest-activity patterns of KI/KI Per2::luc mouse, aged 10 weeks, singly housed in RealTime Biolumicorder (RT-BIO).     

Historical and contemporary determinants of global phylogenetic structure in tropical reef fish faunas

Identifying the main determinants of tropical marine biodiversity is essential for devising appropriate conservation measures mitigating the ongoing degradation of coral reef habitats. Based on a gridded distribution database and phylogenetic information, we compared the phylogenetic structure of assemblages for three tropical reef fish families (Labridae: wrasses, Pomacentridae: damselfishes and Chaetodontidae: butterflyfishes) using the net relatedness (NRI) and nearest taxon (NTI) indices. We then related these indices to contemporary and historical environmental conditions of coral reefs using spatial regression analyses. Higher levels of phylogenetic clustering were found for fish assemblages in the Indo‐Australian Archipelago (IAA), and more particularly when considering the NTI index. The phylogenetic structure of the Pomacentridae, and to a lower extent of the Chaeotodontidae and Labridae, was primarily associated with the location of refugia during the Quaternary period. Phylogenetic clustering in the IAA may partly result from vicariance events associated with coral reef fragmentation during the glacial periods of the Quaternary. Variation in the patterns among fish families further suggest that dispersal abilities may have interacted with past habitat availability in shaping the phylogenetic structure of tropical reef fish assemblages.     

Evidence for a role of protein phosphorylation in the maintenance of the cnidarian–algal symbiosis

The endosymbiotic relationship between cnidarians and photosynthetic dinoflagellate algae provides the foundation of coral reef ecosystems. This essential interaction is globally threatened by anthropogenic disturbance. As such, it is important to understand the molecular mechanisms underpinning the cnidarian–algal association. Here we investigated phosphorylation‐mediated protein signalling as a mechanism of regulation of the cnidarian–algal interaction, and we report on the generation of the first phosphoproteome for the coral model system Aiptasia. Mass spectrometry‐based phosphoproteomics using data‐independent acquisition allowed consistent quantification of over 3,000 phosphopeptides totalling more than 1,600 phosphoproteins across aposymbiotic (symbiont‐free) and symbiotic anemones. Comparison of the symbiotic states showed distinct phosphoproteomic profiles attributable to the differential phosphorylation of 539 proteins that cover a broad range of functions, from receptors to structural and signal transduction proteins. A subsequent pathway enrichment analysis identified the processes of “protein digestion and absorption,” “carbohydrate metabolism,” and “protein folding, sorting and degradation,” and highlighted differential phosphorylation of the “phospholipase D signalling pathway” and “protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum.” Targeted phosphorylation of the phospholipase D signalling pathway suggests control of glutamate vesicle trafficking across symbiotic compartments, and phosphorylation of the endoplasmic reticulum machinery suggests recycling of symbiosome‐associated proteins. Our study shows for the first time that changes in the phosphorylation status of proteins between aposymbiotic and symbiotic Aiptasia anemones may play a role in the regulation of the cnidarian–algal symbiosis. This is the first phosphoproteomic study of a cnidarian–algal symbiotic association as well as the first application of quantification by data‐independent acquisition in the coral field.     

Modulating biochemical perturbations during 72-hour machine perfusion of kidneys: role of preservation solution

This study documents renal biochemistry during hypothermic machine perfusion of kidneys. It is intended to demonstrate that a comprehensive evaluation of organ viability during ex-vivo preservation is needed to increase the number of organs available for transplantation and to reduce the current renal discard rate. Porcine kidneys were hypothermically machine perfused for 72 h with either Unisol-UHK or Belzer-Machine Perfusion Solution, (Belzer-MPS). Renal perfusate samples were periodically collected and biochemically analyzed. Significant differences were measured in the renal metabolic activity between the two experimental groups while similar values for traditional parameters such as renal flow rate and vascular resistance values were recorded. The effluent of UHK perfused kidneys showed strong metabolites and NH(4)(+) dynamics (P<0.05 vs. baseline), while the Belzer-MPS kidneys metabolic activity led to little or no change of the effluent biochemistry relative to baseline.     

SCLIP, a microtubule-destabilizing factor, interacts with RasGRF1 and inhibits its ability to promote Rac activation and neurite outgrowth

RasGRF1 is a neuron-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor for the small GTPases Ras and Rac. It is implicated in the regulation of memory formation and in the development of tolerance to drug abuse, although the mechanisms have been elucidated only in part. Here we report the isolation, by the yeast two-hybrid screen, of the microtubule-destabilizing factor SCLIP (SCG10-like protein) as a novel RasGRF1-interacting protein. This interaction requires the region spanning the Dbl-homology domain of RasGRF1, endowed with catalytic activity on Rac. In search for a possible function we found by biochemical means that SCLIP influences the signaling properties of RasGRF1, greatly reducing its ability to activate the Rac/p38 MAPK pathway, while the Ras/Erk one remains unaffected. Moreover, a potential role is suggested by transfection studies in neuronal PC12 cells in which RasGRF1 induces neurite outgrowth, and coexpression of SCLIP counteracts this effect, causing a dramatic decrease in the percentage of cells bearing neurites, which also appear significantly shortened. This study unveils a physical and functional interaction between RasGRF1 and SCLIP. We suggest that this novel interplay may have possible implications in mechanisms that regulate neuronal morphology and structural plasticity.     

The effect of obesity management on body image in patients seeking treatment at medical centers

Objective: Body image dissatisfaction is common in treatment‐seeking patients with obesity. We aimed to investigate the effects of obesity management on body image in patients with obesity attending Italian medical centers for weight loss programs. Research Methods and Procedures: A total of 473 obese patients seeking treatment in 13 Italian medical centers (80% females; age, 45.9 ± standard deviation 11.0 years; BMI, 36.8 ± 5.7 kg/m²) were evaluated at baseline and after a 6‐month weight loss treatment. Body uneasiness, psychiatric distress, and binge eating were tested by Body Uneasiness Test (BUT, Part A), Symptom CheckList‐90 (SCL‐90), and Binge Eating Scale (BES), respectively. Results: At 6‐month follow‐up, the percentage weight loss was significantly higher in men (9.0 ± 6.3%) than in women (6.8 ± 7.3%; p = 0.010). Both men and women had a significant improvement in BUT Global Severity Index and in all of the BUT subscales with the exception of the Compulsive Self‐Monitoring subscale. Linear regression analysis selected baseline psychological and behavioral measures (global score of BUT and SCL‐90) and improved psychiatric distress and binge eating as independent predictors of changes in basal body dissatisfaction in females, whereas in males, changes were associated only with baseline BUT‐Global Severity Index score, binge eating, and its treatment‐associated improvement. Pre‐treatment BMI and BMI changes did not enter the regression. Discussion: Obesity treatment, even with a modest degree of weight loss, is associated with a significant improvement of body image, in both females and males. This effect depends mainly on psychological factors, not on the amount of weight loss.     

In vitro differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells to epithelial lineage

Our study examined whether human bone marrow-derived MSCs are able to differentiate, in vitro, into functional epithelial-like cells. MSCs were isolated from the sternum of 8 patients with different hematological disorders. The surface phenotype of these cells was characterized.To induce epithelial differentiation, MSCs were cultured using Epidermal Growth Factor, Keratinocyte Growth Factor, Hepatocyte Growth Factor and Insulin-like growth Factor-II. Differentiated cells were further characterized both morphologically and functionally by their capacity to express markers with specificity for epithelial lineage. The expression of cytokeratin 19 was assessed by immunocytochemistry, and cytokeratin 18 was evaluated by quantitative RT-PCR (Taq-man). The data demonstrate that human MSCs isolated from human bone marrow can differentiate into epithelial-like cells and may thus serve as a cell source for tissue engineering and cell therapy of epithelial tissue.     

The apyrase KlYnd1p of Kluyveromyces lactis affects glycosylation, secretion, and cell wall properties

The Kluyveromyces lactis ORF r_klactIV3,463 on chromosome IV, hereafter named KlYND1, encodes an endoapyrase that has nucleoside phosphatase activity with a lumenal orientation. The enzyme showed equally high activity towards GDP/UDP and ADP, and also showed activity, although to a lesser extent, towards GTP. No activity was detected with the other triphosphates and all monophosphates. The overexpression of KlYND1 in Klgda1Delta cells of K. lactis, devoid of the encoded GDPase/UDPase activity, suppressed the loss of O-glycosylation and cell wall-related defects described in such mutants, and suggests a partial overlap of function between the two genes, and therefore some redundancy. The overexpression of KlYND1 in wild-type cells enhanced the secretion of the recombinant human serum albumin and glucoamylase employed as reporters.     

Characterization of reemerging chikungunya virus

An unprecedented epidemic of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection recently started in countries of the Indian Ocean area, causing an acute and painful syndrome with strong fever, asthenia, skin rash, polyarthritis, and lethal cases of encephalitis. The basis for chikungunya disease and the tropism of CHIKV remain unknown. Here, we describe the replication characteristics of recent clinical CHIKV strains. Human epithelial and endothelial cells, primary fibroblasts and, to a lesser extent, monocyte-derived macrophages, were susceptible to infection and allowed viral production. In contrast, CHIKV did not replicate in lymphoid and monocytoid cell lines, primary lymphocytes and monocytes, or monocyte-derived dendritic cells. CHIKV replication was cytopathic and associated with an induction of apoptosis in infected cells. Chloroquine, bafilomycin-A1, and short hairpin RNAs against dynamin-2 inhibited viral production, indicating that viral entry occurs through pH-dependent endocytosis. CHIKV was highly sensitive to the antiviral activity of type I and II interferons. These results provide a general insight into the interaction between CHIKV and its mammalian host.